Should Prostitution Be Legal?

I doubt that prostitutes would go door to door. For one thing, it's just not a very effective way to do it. For another, you'd be causing a lot more problems for yourself. When was the last time you had someone come to your door to sell alcohol, or porn, or cigarettes, or... anything?

Prostitution and drugs gets sold the way it is because it's illegal. If people advertise that at some address you can go and buy crack... guess what? That crack dealer wont be around for long.

During Prohibition alcohol smuggling was a big problem. People put alcohol in cars or boats and drove them at high speeds with lights turned off through back roads or rivers. There was no point in saying that you should make laws against doing that once Prohibition ended, simply because once alcohol was legal there was no need to do those things.

@willpayton: If it was legal then I doubt many would be walking the street.

Some prostitutes are drug addicts or know they have diseases. They wouldn't be accepted by a brothel so they would still sell on the street. Also if you work for a brothel you have to pay some part of her income to them. Independent hookers may like being their own boss or don't like the rules of a brothel

If prostitution was legal then there's many options to sell yourself... a brothel, advertise online, or simply put up fliers for your own one-person business. Why assume that things would be the same when legal as they are when illegal?

Also, prostitutes now can successfully sell themselves even with all the associated problems because it's illegal and there's very little alternative. If it was legal, would you rather go to one who you found online and know is safe, or the crack whore on the street with her gangbanger pimp?

What would happen is the demand for street walkers would dry up, and so the supply would also go away. The demand would just shift to safer, licensed prostitutes. You'd get people or businesses who develop a good reputation, and customers would go there.

Again, illegal businesses have many problems because they're illegal. When legalized, those problems go away.

@willpayton: Door to door sales is all about the impulse buy, and sex is where we are the most impulsive. And the reason you don't see alcohol, tabacco, firearms, and porn sold door to door is because you're only allowed to sell it in places which are specifically licensed to sell those items. If you can get a license to solicit wherever, people will certainly not remain confined to indoor places, you can go into business for yourself in a city center, you don't need a "crack dealer" because you are your own supply. Maybe you don't have a fancy place, but now the only people who get a cut of you income are the government, instead of that brothel. So yes, there will absolutely be some people selling themselves on the streets still if it's allowed, even if they have to pass STD tests to continue, or use protection, or do whatever, people will do it if you don't "control" it. That's why they're saying it has to be controlled, much like alcohol, tobacco, pornography and firearms are currently, by only being available in licensed areas, ie. the brothel. Just like you can't go in an adult shop if you're under 18, prostitution would definitely still have to be controlled if it were legal.

You're confusing "selling" with "advertising". Do you think prostitutes would be having sex on the sidewalk? No. At best they'd be advertising. Now, you can make a law against prostitutes advertising themselves on the street if you want. I'm just saying that if it's legal then I doubt you'll see much or any of that going on. I dont have anyone coming around to my door to offer me massages. That's also an "impulse" buy I suppose, and there's no law against it AFAIK.

It just wont happen. The demand wont be there for it. Anyone who would want a prostitute will have plenty of places to find one. Going to some seedy part of town hoping that you dont get carjacked or murdered just to find a crack whole with 10 STDs, when you can simply go online and find one... makes no sense.

@willpayton: Well first of all; the "sex on the sidewalk" is a strawman, as is the "Going to some seedy part of town hoping that you dont get carjacked or murdered just to find a crack whole with 10 STDs." You require them to to have a license to solicit, this license says they're clean and they know how to have sex safely, they're professionals, any law enforcement could ask to see their ID and license any time, they're not "crack wholes" (sic), they're not in some back alley in the middle of the night. Not everyone who's in pornography or prostitution is some depraved piece of trash, I'm talking about independent businessmen and businesswomen or those aspiring to be so, who can greet you with a smile and a wave on well-lit streets and either follow you somewhere or bring you anywhere else. Easily identifiable, reportable, accountable, taxable, LEGAL independent business ownership with very little start-up investment required. You don't need merchandise, you just need whatever money it takes to get a license, protection, and a blacklight and magnifying glass to check for cleanliness and lice.

I used to work "direct marketing," which is public solicitation and direct to consumer (door-to-door) sales, for an electric supply company. Their ethos was pretty much "you're your own boss, sell and recruit as much as possible, build a team under you," and there were lots of peoplpe willing to sign up for it, myself obviously included for a while, but at the end of the day you still need someone else to supply the product, even if it's just a contract for someone to sign, so you're not in business for yourself. With legal prostitution you don't need a product supplier, you can start up a truly independent business. There are going to be some people with this frame of mind who will be turned down by brothels, who would definitely directly market themselves if possible. Even if it's not necessarily the greatest business investment people will still do it. That's why it has to be at least somewhat "controlled," you may notice even "adult" places on the internet ask for a confirmation of age, as weak a control as that is.

All that was originally meant by "control" is that it can't just be "anyone can have sex for money now," there have to be some degree of rules and regulations to keep everyone involved safe, and I think that's something we can all agree on. As to what those rules are, that's a different matter.

Yes.

Absolutely. The government has no right to tell you what you can and cannot do with your own body.

Why the hell not? Who cares of the moral implication? Just cuz everybody else is sexing it up doesn't mean you have to. Same with drugs.

Uh nah. It sounds all good, the way everyone on here comments about it. But no has talked about the way it would affect their future kids. I personally wouldn't want a daughter of mine (if I ever have one) to EVER even consider prostitution as a career choice. Do you guys think prostitutes come from Mars or some other planet. No they are someone's child. Yes yes I know, blah blah blah blah. But it's just something to think about.

So I guess the question is: Would you have a problem with your daughter or other family member getting into prostitution?

Um....

If you didn't offer the upbringing that's suppose to provide them with other realistic alternatives, you're not the one to judge, not even if you're their parents. It doesn't matter how icky or uncomfortable it makes you feel.

The least we can do is to make this option safer for them.

@deadite: Oh man I knew someone was going to bring that up. Assuming you are a good parent and all that stuff that does provide them with other realistic alternatives. Things don't always work out and sometimes the unexpected happens. However unlikely, it is always possible. Though I do agree with making this option safer, as you said.

They may try to walk around and sell themselves on the street, but I'm saying that the demand will no longer be there for that.

Also, it really just doenst make much sense for the vast majority, especially when you can easily advertise yourself online. I mean, how many customers do you think you'll reach by standing on a street corner? Now, how many will you reach by putting an ad on Craigslist, or more likely on whatever websites pop up just for prostitution when it's legalized? If I was a prostitute when it's legal I'd much rather just put up ads online that reach everyone in the city/county that's looking for it, and then just sit back and wait. I'll probably have to spend all my time dealing with that and setting up meets with people.

See, it wont happen because it wont make sense. No insensitive, no demand.

I said that I'm pro legalization as long as it's regulated. I just dont see the point of making additional laws to regulate issues that exist now and wont exist then. Maybe if you legalize it first and then see that this is a problem, then make laws for it at that point. In software engineering we call this "premature optimization". You're trying to solve a problem before you know there's a problem.

I dont see a convincing argument here for keeping it illegal. "Do I want my child to do it" is not a reason to stop others from doing it. It's not up to me to tell my kids what to do when they're adults. Even less so other people's kids. As long as it's not hurting others or society then why not?

Well considering the Country has Christian views, no. They view sex as a marriage only thing,

But IMO Considering Men have lives that may be stressful, yes. But also in my opinions prostitutes are dirty.

It is legal where i live. And it's working fine, more control on it so less human trafficking, they pay their taxes just like any other profession. I see no harm in it and only benefits. It's not like more people will visit prostitutes now, they're the same people it's just legal now.

A hotel like building where people would go vs driving up to someone on a corner. Prostitution is legal in Vegas (I think) but only in that brothel up there. It's controlled and regulated.

Exactly. Over time it will probably indirectly impact drug trafficking too. A lot of pimps use them to keep their *ahem* ladies under control. That's another thing too. It'll eliminate these A-Hole pimps.

What about being an attention whore like myself?

Legal prostitution? That's like me asking you "STD epidemic?". If its controlled like porn, then I guess its alright, but if we're talking about chicks that wait on a sidewalk all night, no!

Yes, people have the freedom to prostitute themselves.

If it was organized and regulated with mandatory STD screening for clients and employees, then sure, but I would hate to see street walkers in broad daylight at every corner. The same way I want weed to be legal/decriminalized, but regulated to try to keep scummy drug dealers off each corner.

That'd be hilarious.

*ding-dong*

"Hi, I'm Kassidy Kandi from All City Vaginal Service and Oral Delivery llc, do you have a moment to talk about our special Weekday night rates and discount membership bonuses?

No. I understand the arguments supporting it and I'll admit there are a lot of good points to them... but I still don't like the idea of it.

Never thought about it, but after reading some interesting points here...yeah, why not? Its legal in Australia.

It would really help you sort out women who are really interested in you and the ones just using you.

Unless America is a theocracy, it should be.

The only reason they don't want many things to be legal is because they make money. (money and control)

If America is truly about freedom, they wouldn't worry so much about money and taxes.

America has become a police state. Fascist Oligarchy.

It's time we turn America back into a Constitutional Republic.

I'd prefer a busty prostitute knocking on my door then a jehovah witness or mormon.

No.

It's legal in brothels, if I'm not mistaken.

So everyone agrees that street walkers should remain illegal?

I can already picture it. Instead of bumping into a person who was exceptionally flirtatious and end up with a divorce settlement with the person taking most of your stuff, you would just see websites of that person on Google or only bumps into that person on certain streets. They would be accepted with the career they chosen and no one gets hurt.

The only reason porn is legal and prostitution isn't is because porn is usually supervised. Porn is consensual sex, prostitution in a lot of cases can turn into rape. That's why.

The Homer bush meme comes to mind XD

I think it should be legalized, but I am not sure.

I do not fully agree with you. Porn may be supervised, but the supervision is sometimes shoddy and weird. For example, recently, there was international news saying that even big pornography companies like PornHub had let underage girls become pornstars on some of their videos. When that scandal was found out, PornHub predictably said that it had rigorous ways of not letting any minors get into the pornography industry blablabla, but the fact of the matter is that PornHub and some other big pornography companies have not been good enough in their supervision. There are many horrible stories mentioned by ex-pornography stars and actresses, where they say that they felt raped in some pornography scenes...they felt like they were used and abused and raped in some pornography scenes and when they were doing their jobs as porn actresses, and there is a reason why a lot of pornography actresses have drug problems and have suicidal issues and stuff. The supervision under the big pornography companies is not that strong.

Yes, provided that the sex workers are of legal age, the profession is regulated by the government, and they have adequate healthcare, contraceptives, etc and must report the details of the physical and sexual health periodically.

They would just be considered 'independent contractors' to the IRS.

I guess there's nothing wrong with it but only if they get tested regularly similar to what adult XXX stars must to just to keep everyone safe, in this case similar to going for a massage or muscle therapy where if they're not qualified and make sure the place is on the level with their workers (by qualified I don't mean how good the sex is but make sure they're not lying to the company saying they have no STDS then do and get clients sick as a result of deception, then the client sues the company the prostitute works for) something like this should be in place, then I'd be all for it but if it's the way it is now where you don't know then I'm not for it being legalized.